Move the slider to see how your points would have performed in every invitation round since January 2022, or see every score at once.
At 95 points, you would have cleared the 189 cutoff in all 9 rounds where Marine Biologists received invitations since 2022. The highest bar was 95 points. The catch: no Marine Biologists were invited in the other 5 of the last 14 rounds.
Since January 2022 the 189 cutoff for Marine Biologist has ranged from 65 to 95.
| Points | Rounds this score cleared | Last round this score cleared | Waiting at or above (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 1 of 9 | 6 October 2022 | 51 |
| 70 | 1 of 9 | 6 October 2022 | 38 |
| 75 | 1 of 9 | 6 October 2022 | 34 |
| 80 | 1 of 9 | 6 October 2022 | 27 |
| 85 | 3 of 9 | 13 November 2025 | 16 |
| 90 | 5 of 9 | 13 November 2025 | 9 |
| 95 | 9 of 9 | 15 October 2026 | 1 |
| 100+ | 9 of 9 | 15 October 2026 | 0 |
These figures come from past invitation rounds and the current EOI pool. They are not a prediction for any round or any person. Waiting counts are EOIs submitted for the 189 at that score or higher, from SkillSelect.
Cutoff up 30 points. The 189 cutoff for Marine Biologists went from 65 in the first round that invited them since 2022 (6 October 2022) to 95 in the latest (15 October 2026), across 9 invitations.
The cutoff above is what got invited. This is the other half of the picture: how many people are sitting in the pool right now, and where you'd fall among them.
At 95 points, 1 Marine Biologist EOIs in the October 2026 pool are at or above your score. Under the points ranking, higher scores are considered first.
Source: official SkillSelect EOI data, Australian Government · as at October 2026
Highlighted bars are EOIs at or above your points. These counts include only EOIs with a status of Submitted: people still waiting in the pool for an invitation. Once an EOI is invited, lodged, or closed, it has left the queue, so counting those would overstate how many people are actually ahead of you.
54 in the pool. As at October 2026, 54 Marine Biologist expressions of interest were sitting in the 189 pool, waiting for an invitation. The largest cluster sits at 65 points, and about 2% are at 95 points or above.
The Marine Biologist 189 pool has grown from 47 in October 2025 to 54 now. A bigger pool means more people competing for the same invitations.
An EOI moves through four stages. This chart counts only the first one. Here's the full picture so the numbers make sense.
Where you stand means how many people could be invited before you. That's only the people still in the queue with you, which is the Submitted pool. Everyone else has already been invited, has applied, or has left. Adding them would either inflate the number or compare people at completely different stages.
Marine Biologist (234516) is on the MLTSSL, eligible for the 186, 189, 190, 482, 491, 494 visa programs. Skills assessment via VETASSESS.
Which states nominate Marine Biologists for the 190 and 491? Check all 8 states
Across the 14 fully-itemised invitation rounds since January 2022, Marine Biologist received 189 invitations in 9 of them, and was skipped in 5. Where invitations were issued, the bar has trended upward (from 65 in the first invited round to 95 in the latest, within a range of 65–95 points). The most recent invitation was 15 October 2026, with the cutoff at 95 points. The Department of Home Affairs doesn't publish round-by-round occupation selection logic, so historical patterns shouldn't be read as forecasts.
Marine Biologist has also picked up Subclass 491 (Family Sponsored) invitations in 1 of the 14 rounds since 2022. Cutoff range: 85 points. The most recent 491 (FS) invitation was 6 October 2022 at 85 points.
The 491 (FS) is a 5-year provisional visa with different requirements from the 189. It needs an eligible family sponsor (Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen) who lives in a designated regional area, and the visa holder must live and work in a designated regional area for the visa's duration. Pathway to permanent residence is via Subclass 191.
| Round date | 189 cutoff | 491 (FS) cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 15 October 2026 | 95 pts | — |
| 4 June 2026 | 95 pts | — |
| 13 November 2025 | 85 pts | — |
| 21 August 2025 | 90 pts | — |
| 7 November 2024 | 90 pts | — |
| 5 September 2024 | 95 pts | — |
| 13 June 2024 | 95 pts | — |
| 18 December 2023 | Not invited | — |
| 25 May 2023 | Not invited | — |
| 8 December 2022 | 85 pts | — |
| 6 October 2022 | 65 pts | 85 pts |
| 22 August 2022 | Not invited | — |
| 21 April 2022 | Not invited | — |
| 21 January 2022 | Not invited | — |
Refreshed from the official IMMI page · last refresh
The most recent Marine Biologist 189 invitation was 15 October 2026, with the cutoff at 95 points. Across the 9 rounds that invited Marine Biologists since 2022, the cutoff has ranged from 65 to 95 points.
There's no fixed number. The latest round that invited Marine Biologist applicants (15 October 2026) had a cutoff of 95 points. Since January 2022, 95 points was at or above the cutoff in 9 of the 9 rounds that invited this occupation. In 5 of the last 14 rounds, this occupation wasn't invited at any score. These are past rounds, not a prediction.
Different visas, different lists, different ends. The 189 is permanent residence, points-tested, employer-independent, and uses the MLTSSL for occupation eligibility. The 482 Skills in Demand is a temporary employer-sponsored visa that uses the Core Skills Occupation List (which also includes Marine Biologist). The 189 sends invitations based on a points ranking. The 482 requires a sponsoring employer who passes labour-market testing.
For the 189 visa, yes. VETASSESS is the designated assessing authority for ANZSCO 234516 (Marine Biologist). An EOI submitted without a positive skills assessment can't translate into a granted visa. Skills assessments have their own fees, processing times, and document requirements. Check the assessing authority's website for the current process specific to your qualifications and work experience.
No one can answer that honestly, and anyone selling certainty about future cutoffs is overstepping. What the data shows is the cutoff for Marine Biologists has trended upward since 2022. The Department of Home Affairs sets the program direction. The official SkillSelect page publishes new rounds when they happen.
As at October 2026, 54 Marine Biologist expressions of interest were waiting in the 189 pool: people who have lodged an EOI and not yet been invited. It's a monthly snapshot from official SkillSelect data, and it shows how crowded the pool is at each points score, not who gets invited (the Department of Home Affairs doesn't publish that).
These occupations share the same 4-digit ANZSCO unit group as Marine Biologist and are also eligible for the 189. Cutoffs and invitation rates often diverge sharply between them.
This is general information about historical 189 invitation rounds. It isn't immigration advice for your situation. Only a registered migration agent (MARA) or Australian legal practitioner can advise on whether you meet visa requirements. Find a registered agent at mara.gov.au.
